Page 32 of September

“Hi, Carly,” she said.

Carly barked, and Gwen had to open both of her eyes because Carly was now jumping all around the bed.

“Well, someone’s awake. I guess you’re a morning creature, like your mom. Time to go out. I know.”

The terrier barked excitedly again, so Gwen got up and dressed quickly. Carly wouldn’t be getting a long walk yet, but since Juliet had given Gwen permission to walk her with some of the dogs Gwen would walk this morning, she’d get in a good one later. Carly had had a good night. After Gwen had set up the second camera and confirmed that the angles were good with Juliet, she’d taken Carly home with her, and the dog had settled right in for the night.

Once they got outside, Gwen took Carly out to the corner, let her do her business, and picked up the little gift Carly had left for her before she took the dog back inside. She let her eat a bit while she dressed for work and then took her on the streetcar for her first official ride. Carly really was a good dog. She was well-behaved there and got along with the other dogs that were being walked that day. Gwen took them to the dog park and let some of them run around off their leashes. She only kept Carly on hers because she hadn’t asked Juliet if it was okay, but Carlyseemed to like hanging out with Gwen and the other two dogs that didn’t much care for exercise. After dropping the terrier off at home and texting Juliet that she could check in on her with the cameras now, she headed to Myra’s contracting company.

“Hey,” she said. “I got lunch.”

“Oh, great,” Myra replied.

They had agreed to hang out for lunch today, and it was the first time that they were spending any significant time together without Elisa, who always seemed to be hanging all over Myra these days. Gwen already liked her, but she didn’t know that much about the woman who had captured Elisa’s heart, so she’d picked up sandwiches for them from Henry’s, the best Po-Boys place in the city. Henry also happened to be Myra’s uncle, so when Gwen had mentioned that they were for the two of them, she had gotten their whole lunch for free.

“So, you wanted to talk?” Myra asked after they settled down in her office to eat.

“Oh, yeah. But not, like, seriously.”

“This isn’t the talk about how if I hurt your sister, you’ll kill me? I was pretty sure we’d already done that, but then you asked to come here for lunch.”

“No, it’s not that talk. Butshouldit be?” Gwen glared at her.

Myra laughed and replied, “No. I can promise you that I would never intentionally hurt Elisa.”

“Because you love her?”

Myra had been about to take a bite, but she pulled the sandwich away from her mouth.

“I haven’t said that to her yet.”

“But you feel it?”

“Shouldn’tshebe the first one to know?”

“Maybe. But I’m nosey,” Gwen said and took a bite of her sandwich. “So, you love her?” she asked as she chewed.

“My God!” Myra laughed and added, “Yes. But it’s too soon.”

“To love her?”

“To tell her.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s been a month.”

“Lame,” Gwen said. “But your choice.”

“Have you toldJulietyou love her yet?”

“What?” she asked, nearly choking on the bite she just took.

“Why do you think Elisa and I went to sit at the bar? It wasn’t to play the stupid poker game,” Myra told her. “Elisa wanted you to talk to Juliet.”

“Well, I did,” she said. “But I’m obviously not in love with her.”

“She’s pretty,” Myra noted with a shrug.